Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-02-26

pie. have ways counseled my people against
doing any wrong act, and they have
RETAINED and gone TO the Courts. Judges
Desdy and sawyer, before rendering their de-
cisions, went up and examined these mines,
and became convinced that no dams could be
erected to hold this debris and water. These
dams would be liable to break at any time and
spread ruin and de struction in their path. He
instanced the breaking of the English dam, on
one of the tributaries of the Yuba. few years
ago, the waters of which poured down and
ruined grain fields. the crops of which were not
half harvested. When the mountains were
filed with miners working along the streams
in early days, the rivers were in condition to
carry OF the light material that came down,
but now the rivers have been ruined by the
workings of these hydraulic monitors, and the
water and debris is spread out over the land
and destroying it.
OTHER REMARKS.
Caminetti asked TO let the bill come I'D and
amend it so as to harmonic all interests con
cerned. If not he would vote against it. He
believed 1t could be amended so as to make it
satisfactory.
Draw said the bill must be met now. and no
amendment that the senator from Amador
| might make TO it would be accepted. The prop
ostion to doctor this bill as to allow it to go 10
Il third reading would not be accepted bythose
whose interests are imperilled by the hydraulic
mining. The issue must be met now. He had
no amendment to offer to the bill, except to
strike out the enaetipg clause. 1t was sought
to enact q bill that would give color OF law to
hydraulic mining SO that the hydraulic miners
might snap their fingers in the faces ofthe United
States Courts and go ON with their destroying
work The issue IS upon US, and must be met
now.
Mr. Walrath then spoke for about twenty min
utes in defense of his bill, and replied to the
guments of Senator'S Chandler and Dray. The
speech of Mr. Walrath VIII appear in our next
issue.
Mr.. Patterson spoke in behalf of the bill, de-
claring hydraulic mining to be great and i'm
portant industry, that should not be destroyed
i'll the interest OF agriculture.
SPEECH OF SENATOR JONES.
Senator Jones said Mr. President, it is not
natural to expect men who are suffering under
a wrong, whether fancied or not, to have any
iuclinat on to be fair or Just in matter in
which they are opposed. Therefore was not
surprised when the gentleman from Sacra-
mento who, on ordinary occasions, is inclined
! TO be candid and fair should object in this
case to allow the representatives. OF the mining
districts to amend this bill in such manner
that it might be presented TO the Senate and
passed upon its merits. There are two OF Us
here who are not particularly for this bill, but
we wish 10 amend it, because when we were
nominated We took a solemn VOW to support
platform one plank of which reads as follows:
ReS0lusd That mining is one of the great and
beneficial industries OF the State; therefore It Is
the duty of the Government to devise some way
for mining to be continued without injury TO
| any other industry.
i represent district which is half mining
and half farming. If were afraid to face this
question because / KNOW ludl NlldlcNtI way L
vote upon il l will be blamed, would now be
hiding in the corridors of the Capitol instead of
standing on the floor of this Senate and simply
asking for fair pay for both sides OF my con-
stituency. What is it the miners ask here?
They have introduced bill which says
that they shall be allowed, if n competent
engineer, to be selected by the Governor
of this State, shall have examined into their
plans and specifications, and shall have pro-
nouneed them to be sufficient, to build dam
under the consent of the Governor. Is there
anything wrong in that? After they have pre-
sented every evidence of the satisfactory nature
of their proceedings that they should be allowed
to make this attempt. for a period of two years
at least, to restrain this debris2 Is that in ac-
cordance with or against the will of the Courts,
as expressed by their decisions on this question
Have not the Courts said time aud again that if
the miner can restrain his debris and do no in
jury to the farmer, he should be al
lowed to carry on that honorable industry
All they ask of you is to give them trial and
and see if the honorable industry which has
done so much for this State cannot be carried
on without injury 10 others, and not 10 close the
gates of heaven and extinguish the last spark of
life left to the mining industry without trial,
without word, without chance to have JUS
tice. / tell you, gentlemen from the farming
districts, you are acting unreasonably in this
matter; you are going too far in it, you have
conquered so far. l beg you TO be just at the
present time, and act with reason and justice.
have said more than intended, because at
this time am simply asking the Senate, in its
fairness to pass the bill TO its second reading,
and allow us to amend it. ! have reasons for
wishing it 10 be amended, because. as | have
stated, have farmers in my district whom l
wish to protect against any errors or errdltles
that may have crept into this bill and after il
is amended. and after those things are removed,
then if it suits me, shall vote for it on its final
passage. That is all ask you to do. | merely
ask your recognition, at least, that the miners
have some right to be heard before the Senate.
FURTHER ACTION on THE BILL.
After further debate the bill was read the sec
ond time, and large number of amendments
offered and some of them adopted. Finally, at
fifteen minutes after midnight, the further con-
sideration of the bill was made the special or
der for Saturday morning, after the reading of
the journal.
The Senate then adjourned.